


like a bird without a cage

by persephoneggsy



Series: this love will make you levitate [7]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha Yuri Plisetsky, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Mob, Intersex Omega Biology, M/M, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Omega Minami Kenjirou, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-05-26 21:16:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15009620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephoneggsy/pseuds/persephoneggsy
Summary: In search of a good Alpha who can take over the family's inn in Japan, Kenjirou travels to his uncles' residence in Russia, trusting his beloved Uncle Yuuri to find him good matches. He trusts his family, of course, but this will be no easy task.After all, the only Alpha his age he's ever felt comfortable around is his psuedo-cousin, Yuri.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> FINALLY
> 
> //sweats okay so I know this took a while but like,,,, school and whatnot
> 
> AnYwAY it's here now
> 
> Title is, of course, from Katy Perry's "Dark Horse". I thought it would be fitting to bookend this series with a title from the same song that started it all.
> 
> And, for anyone who's curious, here are everyone's ages for this fic:
> 
> Kenjirou - 20  
> Yuri - 18  
> Yuuri - 37  
> Victor - 41  
> Stepan - 10  
> Hoshiko - 6

* * *

 

The manor is far more impressive in person, Kenjirou thinks.

He’d known, of course, that his Uncle Yuuri and his Alpha lived a comparatively more lavish life in St. Petersburg, but now that he’s seeing their home in person for the first time, a three-story mansion straight out of a Victorian novel, he’s… a bit intimidated.

He knows he shouldn’t be - despite appearances, it’s still just Yuuri and Victor’s house. His two doting uncles, who always sent the best birthday presents and played with Kenjirou whenever they visited Japan. Naturally, they’re more than willing to let Kenjirou stay with them while he…

While he… Ugh.

Kenjirou bites back a grimace and quickly grabs his luggage from the trunk of the car, despite the chauffeur's insistence that he should do that for him. Shouting a quick ‘thanks for the ride’ over his shoulder, he trudges up the steps of the manor. When he reaches the door, he raises his arm to ring the doorbell, absently wondering if there will be a doorman to answer the call. But before he can even point his finger, the door wrenches open, and Kenjirou finds himself being tackled to the ground with a yelp.

“Ken’s here!” a young, boyish voice proclaims happily, though Kenjirou is too winded from the impact to really take note of it. Soon enough, his vision clears, and he can see a silver-haired child sitting on top of him. He can’t be any older than ten; he smiles widely at the sight of Kenjirou, showing off a missing canine tooth in the process.

Kenjirou’s daze quickly clears, and with a grin, he wraps the child up in a hug, earning a delighted giggle.

“Styopa!” he exclaims in return. He struggles to sit up, the movement made more difficult with Stepan’s presence, but neither of them mind. As soon as he does, though, he notices that there’s someone else standing in the doorway.

A girl, younger than Stepan by four years, with long black hair and wide blue eyes. She’s fidgeting in place, as if unsure if she should follow Stepan’s example and tackle Kenjirou in a hug.

Kenjirou’s grin widens as he holds out an arm in invitation. The girl’s face lights up - she hurries over to give Kenjirou another, albeit more subdued hug.

“Hi Ken,” she murmurs shyly into his jacket.

He laughs brightly. “Hi, Kocchan.”

“Mama and Papa are still working,” Stepan pipes up. He has yet to release Kenjirou from his hug; not that Kenjirou particularly minds. He hasn’t seen his cousins in over a year, since they last came to Hasetsu for a visit. “They said we could show you to your room!”

“Oh?” Truth be told, a small part of Kenjirou had hoped to see his Uncle Yuuri right away. There’s so much to talk about, so much that needs to be done. Though seeing Stepan and Hoshiko has lightened his mood considerably, there’s still an underlying knot of tension in his gut that he thinks only his uncle can soothe away. “D-Do you know when they’re gonna finish up?”

At that, Stepan pauses, scrunching his face adorably as he thinks. Hoshiko’s response is more immediate - a decisive shake of the head. When Stepan finally does the same, Kenjirou sighs. He supposes he’ll just have to wait.

The kids clamber off him, allowing him to stand. He picks up his dropped luggage and sends them both a small smile.

“Lead the way!”

They excitedly comply, leading Kenjirou through the halls of their large home. They pass servants and other people Kenjirou doesn’t know, but they only spare him a passing glance before getting on with their business. Though Kenjirou doesn’t mind them - he’s too busy marveling at the sheer size and opulence of the manor, which is easily twice as impressive on the inside.

Finally, the children come to a stop by a door on the second floor of the home. Stepan opens his arms theatrically, and Hoshiko copies his movements. There’s a little card hanging on the door, affixed with a piece of tape. It has Kenjirou’s name, written in messy Japanese characters, and several small doodles of hearts and stars. Obviously work done by the kids - Kenjirou feels his heart swell up with fondness.

Stepan and Hoshiko are practically bouncing on their heels as Kenjirou reaches out to open the door.

And… wow.

The room is easily three times as big as his room back home. In fact, it’s probably closer in size to the lounge area at the inn.

Kenjirou gawks, his feet carrying him on autopilot inside. There’s a queen-sized bed, a large, elaborately-carved wardrobe, a vanity, even a _sofa and table._

“This… This is mine?” he asks, breathless.

“Do you like it?” Hoshiko looks up at him. “Mama let us pick the colors. You like red and yellow, right, Ken?”

“I…” True to her word, the bedsheets and the sofa are those very colors; his _favorite_ colors. He feels an overwhelming sense of fondness well up in him - he’s about to start crying, but Stepan grabs him by the hand and starts tugging him over to the bed.

“It’s super soft!” he says, in a completely serious tone. “You have to check it out!”

Startled, Kenjirou gives a short laugh. “Alright, alright!”

The bed is quite soft. Kenjirou and the kids spend at least half an hour just laying on it, while the older Omega is asked all sorts of questions; how was his flight, does he like Russia so far, etcetera. His luggage lies unpacked on the floor beside the bed. He’ll get to it later, he supposes.

“Ken?” Hoshiko’s quiet voice starts. She waits for him to look at her before continuing. “Why are you gonna live with us now?”

Kenjirou blinks. “Didn’t, um… Didn’t Uncle Yuuri say…?”

“Mama only said that you were gonna stay here for a while,” answers Stepan. “We didn’t ask why, we were just excited that you were coming!”

Kenjirou spares them both a smile. But it quickly drops, to their alarm.

“Well… You two know I’m an Omega, right?”

Stepan nods and points to his sister. “Like Kocha!”

“Yeah. Well, when an Omega gets to a certain age, we’re supposed to do… things. My mom and grandparents are too busy to help me do those things, so your Mama offered to do it instead.”

Hoshiko tilts her head. “What kind of things?”

“Um…” Kenjirou grimaces. Geez. Are they old enough to - ?

“He’s talking about getting married, brats.”

All three startle at the new voice, which comes from the doorway. Kenjirou has to roll over on the bed to see who’s there, and when he does, he sees a blond young man, no older than Kenjirou himself. He grins at the familiar face.

“Yurio!”

Yuri’s lips quirk up in a small smile - which, from Yuri, is like a wide, beaming grin. “Hey, Ken.”

Kenjirou hurriedly rolls off the bed to stand and make his way over to the blond. Yuri tenses apprehensively.

“Don’t you da - !”

“Too late,” sings Kenjirou, wrapping his arms around Yuri’s taller frame. He feels Yuri tense, then slump in defeat. And, to his satisfaction, he feels arms circle around him and hug him back.

After a few moments, he hears Yuri’s voice again, still bearing that annoyed tone, though Kenjirou knows it’s a facade. “You can let go now.”

Kenjirou, in response, hugs tight enough for Yuri to wheeze, after which he releases the blond and steps back, still grinning widely. He has to look up at Yuri now, which is a new development.

“You got taller!” he comments.

Yuri cracks another smile, his chest puffing up none-too-subtly with pride.

“Papa says Yura-nii hit his growth spurt late,” Stepan pipes up, earning a quick scowl from Yuri.

“Your old man doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” he says.

“Papa isn’t old,” frowns Hoshiko.

“That beard sure makes him look like he is.”

Kenjirou blinks. “Uncle Victor grew a beard?”

“Yeah, and it’s weird as fu - heck,” says Yuri, minding the children and correcting his potty mouth.

“Well, how would _you_ know?” snaps Stepan, suddenly clambering off the bed to glare with surprising intensity at Yuri. “You haven’t even been around since for _ever!”_

Kenjirou frowns, taking note of Hoshiko’s sudden uncomfortable expression, and the way Yuri goes still. But the older Alpha quickly relaxes, and straightens his back to project an air of nonchalance.

“Don’t exaggerate, Styopa. Besides, I’ve been busy.”

Stepan whines. “Doing what?”

“None of your business, brat.”

“Are you gonna eat with us tonight?” Hoshiko's quiet voice interrupts. She looks at Yuri pleadingly, and Yuri, to his credit, looks regretful as he stares back at her.

“... I won’t be for a while, _kotyonyok._ I’m gonna be out of town visiting my grandpa.”

“You’re not gonna be here?” asks Kenjirou, alarmed. Hoshiko and Stepan both frown in disappointment, too.

“Just for a few days,” Yuri says hurriedly.

“But you’ll…” Kenjirou swallows his nerves. “I mean, you’re coming to the party, right? I-It’d be nice to have at least one familiar face around…”

Yuri’s gaze softens. “Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t miss it, Ken.”

The knot of tension in Kenjirou’s gut lessens considerably. “Okay…”

There’s a beat of awkward silence, and then Yuri looks away, coughing into his fist. “I should, ah… Start packing my stuff. I leave tonight.”

Stepan sticks his tongue out and blows a raspberry in Yuri’s direction. Yuri sends the child another half-hearted glare before nodding at Kenjirou and stepping out of the room.

“... Is Yurio alright?” Kenjirou asks the children, though his gaze holds steady on the door where Yuri just exited.

“He’s been a jerk, lately,” huffs Stepan. “He’s always going out and not spending time with us, and he doesn’t even say _why._ Just, he’s ‘busy’.”

Stepan’s tone implies he doesn’t quite believe Yuri’s reasoning, and Kenjirou’s frown deepens. But, is it really his concern? Yuri is practically family, but it’s been years since they’ve last seen each other. He’s old enough to do things on his own, and while it sucks that Stepan and Hoshiko feel like he’s being distant, it’s not really something Kenjirou feels he can stick his nose into.

… Still, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask Uncle Yuuri about it when he sees him.

 

* * *

 

That ends up being over an hour later - Stepan and Hoshiko have continued chatting as Kenjirou unpacks the rest of his things. He listens to their banter with a fond smile, interjecting with a few words of his own every now and again.

As soon as he puts the last of his clothes away - including several formal kimonos, packed courtesy of his grandmother, for all the formal events he’s going to have to endure in the coming months - there’s a knock at the door, followed by a voice that lifts Kenjirou’s spirits as soon as he hears it.

“Kenjirou?”

Stepan and Hoshiko fling themselves from the bed upon hearing their dam’s voice; and sure enough, the door opens to reveal Kenjirou’s uncle, Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov.

Yuuri has always been beautiful, and this is something Kenjirou remembers thinking ever since he was old enough to know what beautiful meant. Even as he nears his forties, there’s not much sign of age of his uncle save for the faintest lines around his eyes. And he still looks as stylish as ever - he’s wearing a form-fitting, bespoke suit, something Kenjirou had been taught by his great-grandmother that an Omega should never wear.

But seeing a suit on Yuuri immediately makes Kenjirou long for one just like it.

Yuuri catches sight of his nephew and beams widely, quickly stepping into the room with his arms open wide. Kenjirou runs the short distance to meet Yuuri and hugs him tightly. Barely, he registers Stepan and Hoshiko both hovering around their legs, but at the moment he’s simply filled with joy to be able to hug his beloved uncle again.

“Look at you!” Yuuri laughs, speaking in Japanese. “You’ve grown so much since I last saw you!”

“I missed you, Uncle Yuuri,” Kenjirou replies, giddy.

“I missed you too, Kenji.” Regrettably, Yuuri breaks the hug first, but he still holds Kenjirou at arms’ length to look at him. “Ah, you really are starting to look like Mari-neechan.”

Kenjirou flushes, delighted at Yuuri’s words. He may think his uncle is the prettiest Omega ever, but he still greatly admires his mother.

Yuuri, the smile still on his face, then glances down to see his children peering up at them.

“I hope your welcoming party treated you well?” he asks, his lips curling up slightly more.

“Oh, definitely,” nods Kenjirou. He tears his eyes from his uncle to beam at his cousins instead. “The best welcoming party ever!”

Both children preen under the praise. Stepan more so than his sister, who seems to have something on her mind.

“Mama?” she starts. “Where’s Papa?”

Ah. That’s right. With a small hint of guilt, Kenjirou realizes that Victor is nowhere to be seen. He loves his other uncle, of course, but he’s always had something of a one-track mind when it came to Yuuri…

“Your Papa is finishing work,” Yuuri informs them. “I just came by to check on Kenjirou first. Actually…” The oldest Omega kneels down in front of his children. “Why don’t the two of you go and make sure he makes it to dinner this time? I need to talk to your cousin alone for a little while.”

Stepan grins widely. Kenjirou thinks he can almost see the boy vibrating with excitement.

“We’re having _katsudon,_ right, Mama?”

“Of course we are. It’s a special occasion, after all.”

The silver-haired boy gives an ecstatic _woop,_ and even Hoshiko seems to glow at the prospect of the meal waiting for them. It’s enough to make Kenjirou have to stifle a giggle into his hand. Though Stepan and Hoshiko seem like a fairly even mix of their parents, they’ve definitely inherited Yuuri’s culinary tastes. Though, naturally, Kenjirou loves a good pork cutlet bowl as much as the rest of them - it _is_ Grandma Hiroko’s special recipe.

Without further need for instruction, Stepan and Hoshiko race out of the room, presumably to find their sire. Kenjirou and Yuuri are left to smile after them.

After a beat, Yuuri turns back to Kenjirou, placing an arm at the younger Omega’s back to gently guide him towards the bed. Kenjirou goes easily, and they both sit on the edge of the massive bed.

“Do you like your room?” asks Yuuri.

Kenjirou nods vigorously. “Yeah! It’s like, twice the size of my room back home! I don’t even know what to do with all this space!”

Yuuri chuckles at that. “I felt that way too. Luckily Victor has more than enough of his own to take up room.”

Kenjirou chuckles too, but after that, there’s a lapse of silence. It’s likely because of the reason he’s here, thinks Kenjirou. Neither of them want to broach the topic first.

Eventually, though, Yuuri is the first one to break the silence.

“I know what everyone back in Hasetsu has been saying,” he starts, tone even. “But I want you to know, Kenji; no one is forcing you to get married now. Not our family, and certainly not me.”

Kenjirou shifts on the bed. “I know. Mom said the same thing, but…” He peers nervously at his uncle, who merely watches him back, patiently waiting. “I think… I should at least start looking now?”

“But do you want all this pomp and circumstance? It’s not too late to cancel the debut party if you don’t want to do it.”

Kenjirou shrugs. “A debut party is the best chance I have of attracting a well-bred Alpha.”

“You sound like Yukari.”

At that, Kenjirou makes a face, and Yuuri laughs.

“But I understand what you mean. Ideally, you’d want a good Alpha to help run the inn.”

“Yeah…” Kenjirou’s expression falters. “Do you think I’ll find… someone nice, at least?”

He hates how the question comes out, quiet and scared, betraying the brave facade he’s tried to maintain thus far.

Yuuri softens. The older Omega reaches for the younger’s hand, holding it with both of his own, in a gesture that immediately warms Kenjirou.

“I think whoever you choose will be wonderful, Kenji. None of us, least of all you, will settle for less.”

“Thank you, Uncle Yuuri,” Kenjirou replies, eyes suddenly glassy and throat tight. Without waiting for Yuuri to reply, he lurches forward and pulls his uncle into a hug. Yuuri is tense for only a moment; then, he relaxes, wrapping his arms around Kenjirou’s smaller frame. His hand rubs soothingly up and down Kenjirou’s back.

“You’re going to be just fine. I’ll make sure of that,” says Yuuri, in that tone of voice that reminds him of his mother; they’re both so capable of dignity, of self-assured confidence that he rarely sees in other Omegas.

“Ah, the hugging has started without me?”

A new, yet still familiar voice interrupts the tender little moment - which is fine, because Kenjirou feels like he’s going to start crying anyway. The Omegas separate from the hug and look towards the door, seeing a tall, handsome older man leaning against the doorframe.

“Uncle Victor?” Kenjirou blinks, staring with wide eyes. Whoa. "Yurio wasn’t lying. You really _did_ grow a beard…”

Victor raises an eyebrow at that, looking adorably put-out as he raises a hand to stroke the aforementioned beard. It doesn’t look _bad,_ per se; it’s actually quite well-manicured. But Victor always had a youthfulness to his appearance, aided by his smooth, chiseled jaw, which was now obstructed by the beard. Like this, now, he looks…

“Old,” blurts Kenjirou.

The Alpha gasps, looking scandalized. “ _Old?”_

Yuuri only laughs as he gets up from the bed, then saunters over to his husband and cups his bearded cheek.

“I still love it,” he purrs. “It’s very dignified, Vitya.”

At once, Victor’s troubled expression gives way to one of pure, enamored adoration. He smiles at the Omega and leans in to allow Yuuri to press a quick kiss to the silvery whiskers.

Kenjirou looks away, embarrassed. After all this time, his uncles are still so sappy with each other. He can practically hear Yurio complaining about how mortifying those two are. But another part of him swoons - he wants that. A relationship that will last through the years.

“Oh, you said you saw Yuri already?”

Yuuri’s voice snaps Kenjirou out of his daze. He looks back to see that his uncles still have their arms wrapped around each other, but now their attention is back on him.

“A-Ah, yeah. He left a little while ago to pack his stuff.”

Victor makes a face. “Then he’s likely left already. I swear, that boy…”

“Is everything okay?” Kenjirou asks. “I mean, isn’t he just… visiting his grandfather?”

The Alpha sighs, waving his free hand dismissively. “Yes. I just wish he’d told us more than just a day in advance.”

“Well, Yuri is an adult now,” says Yuuri, though he says it with the air of someone who’s said it before, and many times at that. It makes Kenjirou furrow his brow, but before he can ask any questions, Victor shakes his head and puts on a bright smile.

“I suppose it’s his loss; no _katsudon_ for him tonight. Come, dinner should be ready now. Styopa might be losing his mind from the wait.”

Despite his uncertain feeling, Kenjirou just nods and hops off the bed, following them out of his room.

He glances back over his shoulder just before exiting; the room is still clean, the bed primly made and floor clear. There are no signs of it being lived-in, save for Kenjirou’s clothes sticking out of the closet, and a few of his belongings from home here and there. It’ll likely become as messy as his room back in Hasetsu in no time, he thinks.

Turning his head, he hurries after his uncles, stomach already growling for _katsudon._

 

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenjirou's debut party finally arrives, and with it, plenty of new faces. But there's one in particular that catches his eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick reminder, Kenjirou's hair is his natural brown. I imagine hair dye and the like are usually frowned upon by higher class Omegas, so no chicken nugget hair... 
> 
>  
> 
> yet
> 
> And, regarding a comment I got in the last chapter, in this particular omegaverse, I went with the idea that 'Mama' or 'Mom' or any other variation of 'Mother' is typically assigned to the person who gave birth to you. So, male and female Omegas, and female Betas. And 'Papa' and its variants is the person who sired you.
> 
> That's all generally speaking, it of course can differ due to adoption, personal preference, etc, but that's the model I used for the Katsuki-Nikiforov family.

* * *

 

“So, you’re settling in alright?”

“Yes, Mom,” Kenjirou recites dutifully, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, even though he knows his mother can’t see him through the phone. “For the seventh time.”

He hears a huff of laughter. “Sorry. I just can’t help it, you know? You’ve never been so far from home before. And for such a long time!”

“It’s only been a few days, Mom!” Kenjirou laughs in return. “Really, I’m fine. The manor is great, and Uncle Yuuri and Uncle Victor are taking care of me.”

“I know, I know. Guess I really have to put all my faith in my little brother.” 

Mari sighs dramatically, like it’s a great effort on her part to trust her brother, her voice lilting in that teasing tone that only siblings can have when talking about each other. It makes Kenjirou giggle again.

“Anyway,” Mari continues, “what are you doing now?”

“We just had dinner,” replies Kenjirou. “Stepan and Hoshiko are being put to bed. Then Uncle Yuuri’s going to help me pick an outfit for… for the debut party tomorrow.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then he hears his mother’s sympathetic sigh across the line.

“Yeah… I really wish I could be there for you.”

“You’d fight off every Alpha who so much as looked at me,” he points out, earning another chuckle.

“Probably. But despite my teasing, I trust Yuuri. I’m sure he wouldn’t have invited any assholes to the party.”

Kenjirou hums in the affirmative, then there’s a knock at his door. He turns his head to see Yuuri himself standing in the doorway.

“Oh, Mom, speaking of… He’s right here. Do you wanna talk?” he asks his mother, and simultaneously asking Yuuri, who nods.

“Sure, put me on speaker.”

He does, setting the phone down on his bed as Yuuri walks over.

“Hey, Mari-neechan,” greets Yuuri. “How are things?”

“Awful,” she says quickly. “My baby is in a foreign country about to be hounded by horny Alphas and I’m stuck here, cleaning the hot springs.”

Yuuri actually  _ does  _ roll his eyes, though Kenjirou has no doubt that his mother already knows that. 

“Nothing’s going to happen to him, you know. Not while I’m around.”

“I should hope so. Otherwise I’m taking the next flight over and kicking your ass.”

“Uh-huh,” Yuuri clicks his tongue. “Actually, that reminds me, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Oh?”

“What do you think about Kenji taking self-defense classes?”

Kenjirou sputters.  _ What? _

His mother sounds equally confused. “He’s taken self-defense, Yuuri.”

“Not that weak ‘get out the pepper spray and knee then in the groin’ shit we had to do. I mean  _ real  _ self-defense. Fighting.”

“Wh…” Mari pauses, then lets out a long breath. “You really think he’ll need it?”

“Well, the final decision is up to you, Kenji,” Yuuri says, facing him. “But Victor and I both agree, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I won’t let anything happen to you, but it’ll put my mind more at ease if I knew you could handle yourself in an emergency. Stepan and Hoshiko will do the same, once they’re old enough.”

Kenjirou can only blink and stutter helplessly. Self-defense? Like actual, martial arts  _ fighting?  _ True, the courses he’d taken back in Japan really just amounted to carrying around something like pepper spray or a taser and hoping for the best, but Kenjirou had never really imagined he’d have much use for it. His pepper spray canister still sat, unused, at the bottom of his backpack since he’d bought it over a year ago.

Then again… Kenjirou wasn’t an idiot. He knew what kind of world he’d been born into, and he knew the type of people who came to the inn. Hell, Uncle Victor was one of those people. Underbelly of the criminal world types, who certainly wouldn’t have a problem overpowering a slight Omega like Kenjirou.

Briefly, he wonders what would happen if anyone tried to pepper spray Uncle Victor. Then, appropriately, he shudders; it would  _ not  _ end well for that person. He’s never seen anything himself, but he’d heard… stories. Mostly from Uncle Yuuri.

He feels himself calm down considerably. “What… What sort of stuff would I be learning?” he asks.

“We can test the waters and see what you’re most comfortable with,” Yuuri explains. “There’s Krav Maga, Keysi… Though I’m quite fond of Sambo and Judo, myself.”

Kenjirou stares at him. But really, he shouldn’t be surprised that Uncle Yuuri is cool enough to know  _ multiple  _ martial arts. “I…”

Yuuri laughs again. “We’ll ease into it, Kenji.”

“If it’s what you want,” adds his mother.

“I… uh...” Kenjirou folds his hands in his lap and wrings them nervously. “I could try…?”

It seems to be enough for Yuuri. He smiles and nods his head. “Alright. I’ll tell Victor and we’ll set something up.”

“You’re going to turn my kid into the Black Widow,” bemoans Mari. 

“Well, now that sounds kinda cool,” Kenjirou quips back. Yuuri shoots him an amused glance.

The topic switches soon after that, mostly to Mari and Yuuri updating each other on recent happenings in their respective lives, though they speak to each other fairly often, and so there isn’t much to share before they’re done. Mari yawns suddenly, causing Kenjirou to remember the six hour time-difference. He glances at the clock; if it’s seven at night here, then…

“Mom!” he admonishes. “Shouldn’t you be in bed by now?”

“Don’t parent  _ me _ ,” Mari says, before yawning again. “But fine. I’ll let you both go now.”

“Goodnight,” says Yuuri. “Tell Mom and Dad I said hi.”

“Will do. Do the same for Victor from me.”

“G’night, Mom,” calls Kenjirou. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Kenji. Night.”

With that, the call is ended, and Yuuri takes the ensuing quietness as an opportunity. He strides over to Kenjirou’s closet and throws the doors open.

“Right! So. Down to business: what do you want to wear for the party?”

Kenjirou shuffles off his bed to join his uncle in front of the closet. There’s mostly casual items lining its walls, but the few formal outfits he owns stand out clearly. Most are kimonos, some hand-me-downs from his great-grandmother Yukari, and a few western dresses.

“I’m not really sure,” he answers. “It was mostly Mom or Grandma who picked out my clothes for stuff like this. And the last formal kind of party I went to was the Nishigori triplets’, and that was like, two years ago.”

Yuuri hums to himself. “Yukari was usually the one who dressed me. She insisted on kimonos in shades of blue. Said it was my best color.”

There’s an odd tone to Yuuri’s voice, but Kenjirou understands. Yukari Katsuki had been… a difficult woman, for lack of a better word. He always remembered the elder Omega as stern and unloving, but she’d lightened up considerably towards the end of her life. Her passing was a confusing time for everyone. 

“You  _ do  _ look good in blue,” Kenjirou offers awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. 

Yuuri smiles softly at him and reaches into the closet. Pulling out a few garments, he walks back towards the bed and lays them out. Kenjirou follows him, and sees three options. His orange blossom-patterned kimono, a short red princess dress, and a pale pink ball gown lined with silver embroidery. 

“I think warm colors suit you best,” explains Yuuri. “Any of these would do.”

Kenjirou looks upon each item, running his hand along the sleeve of the kimono. He’d worn this one before, so maybe it was the safer option. The red dress and the pink dress were both gifts, technically speaking; he’d gone shopping with Axel Nishigori one day, and she insisted on buying the red dress for herself and the pink one for Kenjirou. Then, she’d discovered that her sister Loop already had the dress, and thus sent it over to the inn as a second present for her friend. 

He smiles at the memory. He picks up the red dress and holds it up against his body. It ends just above his knees, though it’s longer in the back than the front. And he  _ has  _ always liked the color red.

“This one?” he asks Yuuri. 

Yuuri nods, smiling in that special way that makes Kenjirou feel like he’s just done something great.

“I love it. No one will be able to look away from you in that.”

“You think so?” the younger Omega laughs nervously. “I guess as long as I don’t embarrass myself…”

“Oh, hush.” Yuuri pulls him into a hug, a warm hand settling into his untameable mane of brown hair. “Nothing like that is going to happen. You’re going to have fun, Kenji, I promise.”

Kenjirou relaxes easily into the hug, but his voice still holds a tone of hesitation when he asks, “... And if I don’t?”

“Then we can ditch the party and go do something  _ really  _ fun instead.”

He hides a smile against Yuuri’s chest. “Video games?”

“You’d be surprised how terrible Victor is at them. It’s incredibly entertaining to watch.”

Kenjirou starts to laugh, not once breaking the hold he has on his uncle.

 

* * *

 

When the party finally gets underway, Kenjirou finds that he’s not nearly as nervous as he was in the days leading up to it.

Perhaps it helps that he has an escape plan worked out with Uncle Yuuri. Or maybe it’s that Stepan and Hoshiko immediately noticed his downbeat behavior that morning, and did everything in their power to cheer him up before the party began. They wouldn’t be able to attend themselves, after all, since Uncle Victor enforced a strict policy that neither of his children could attend public events until they were at least teenagers. 

And even though the debut party is to be held at the Nikiforov residence, he still enforces that policy, given the high number of new guests - particularly  _ Alpha  _ guests - that will be in close proximity. Kenjirou can’t begrudge him for being cautious. 

But they’re at least able to take his mind off the party and its meaning for a few hours. That, and the fact that Yuri has yet to return, despite promising that he’d make it. No, Kenjirou doesn’t think about a certain hot-headed Alpha at all, and he definitely doesn’t feel betrayed when he enters the large ballroom where the party is being held, only to find no trace of him among the multiple guests already assembled.

… 

Kenjirou holds back a sigh, nursing his glass of champagne with both hands. He doesn’t actually like the taste of it much, but he’s too polite to go back and request a different drink from one of the servers, so he’s been stuck with it for about ten minutes now.

Already, four Alphas have approached him, introducing themselves with bright smiles and airs of politeness abound. The first two were nice, but unremarkable, so Kenjirou’s already forgotten their names. The third was a girl who confided in him that she was only there so her father could suck up to Uncle Victor, so he’d let her go with an understanding smile. The fourth was…

Well, Alpha stereotypes exist for a reason.

Anatoly, as he was apparently called, though he insisted Kenjirou call him ‘Tolya’, is definitely the most persistent so far. He’s hovered in Kenjirou’s periphery, even after his invitation to dance is declined. And though he’s trying to be subtle about it, there’s no mistaking the slight increase of his scent, a deliberate and somewhat rude ploy to get the Omega’s attention. 

It makes Kenjirou’s nose wrinkle distastefully; at least, when he glances out of the corner of his eye, he can see Yuuri standing off on the other side of the room, watching him carefully. By the older Omega’s expression, he’s none too pleased with Anatoly and his seduction tactics, either.

“You’re sure about that dance?” the Alpha repeats, for what must be the fourth time already.

“I’m sure,” Kenjirou replies as demurely as he can. “I’m really not a great dancer.”

“You can stand on my feet,” he persists. “I really wouldn’t mind. Come on, it’s a party! _ Your  _ party!”

“I’m  _ fine,”  _ Kenjirou says again, perhaps a bit more forcefully this time. Unfortunately, it does little to deter the Alpha, who takes a step closer to tower over him. Kenjirou can already see Yuuri’s form coming closer, about to grab this Alpha by the collar and give him what Uncle Victor lovingly refers to as The Look, but before he can get within ten feet of the young pair, another figure reaches them first - one that Kenjirou hadn’t even seen coming.

“Ah, there you are.”

Kenjirou (and Anatoly by proxy) look up to see an Alpha shorter than Anatoly, with dark hair styled with an undercut and piercing gray eyes. He’s quite handsome. With a stoic expression that only hints at amusement, he holds out a hand towards Kenjirou.

“Kenjirou Katsuki, right?”

Kenjirou stares at him for a moment, flustered, before regaining his composure and slipping his hand into the stranger’s. The Alpha kisses it, as is customary, and then quickly releases it to bow.

“Otabek Altin. I’m a friend of Yuri’s. So I’ve heard about you.”

He says it so succinctly that Kenjirou automatically believes him. But… Yuri’s never mentioned an ‘Otabek’ before.

Anatoly eyes Otabek with disdain. “Altin. Didn’t know you’d be here.”

To which Otabek shrugs. “Like I said, I’m friends with Yuri. So Mr. Katsuki-Nikiforov saw fit to invite me.”

“I did,” Yuuri says, cutting smoothly into the conversation. Anatoly jumps at the sudden arrival, staring at the older Omega with wide eyes. His look of shock is quickly replaced with one of awe - not that Kenjirou could blame him. Yuuri is as stunning as ever, with his mermaid dress and a slit so high it reaches his mid-thigh. Omegas at his age don’t usually go for such daring looks anymore, but damn if Yuuri can’t pull it off spectacularly.

“Thank you for coming, Beka,” Yuuri says to Otabek, who nods with a small smile. 

The nickname causes Kenjirou to jolt this time, because  _ that  _ is a familiar name.

_ “You’re  _ Beka?” he asks incredulously. Yuri talks about ‘Beka’ almost constantly! He’d always mention him whenever he and Kenjirou had the time to talk on the phone, back when they could only ever physically see each other a few times out of the year. He’s his best friend!

Otabek nods again. “Yeah. It’s nice to finally meet you, Kenjirou.”

Kenjirou swallows thickly. “Y-You too.”

Yuuri looks between them for a moment. Anatoly looks increasingly annoyed that he’s being ignored. He opens his mouth again, not that Kenjirou notices - he’s busy watching Otabek, who also opens his mouth and cuts off the other Alpha before he can speak.

“You wouldn’t want to dance, would you?”

Kenjirou hesitates. He does finally look back at Anatoly, only to see him with a shocked, nearly outraged expression. He’ll probably be even more annoyed if Kenjirou agrees to dance with Otabek. But just beside him, he also sees his uncle, nodding quietly in encouragement. And, well, if he’s Yuri’s friend, and his uncle likes him…

“S-Sure,” he answers, taking Otabek’s proffered hand. He hears Anatoly splutter indignantly, but the sounds fades as Otabek escorts him out to the dance floor, taking the extra liberty of passing his undrunken champagne off to a waiter nearby. 

No doubt Yuuri will handle the younger Alpha just fine, probably foisting him off on some other, more desperate Omega who could benefit from his family name. 

Still, Kenjirou feels a jolt of anxiety as they reach the floor, and Otabek gently puts a hand on his waist to start the dance. He’s danced before, of course, but only with the Nishigori siblings and a few friends from school. Never with a stranger, and never with so many other people around…

“Hey,” Otabek’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts. The Alpha has his brows furrowed in concern. “Are you sure you want to dance? We can just sit and talk if you want.”

A beat passes, wherein Kenjirou is startled by the show of empathy, but he recovers quickly and shakes his head with a smile. “No, no, I want to. I’m just not that great at dancing.”

“Can’t be any worse than me,” retorts Otabek. “My sister refuses to come near me at all during parties. She says I’m a hazard to her toes.”

Despite himself, Kenjirou laughs. They slowly start moving on the floor. There seems to be an unspoken agreement between the two not to follow any complicated steps or do any sort of style of dance; rather, they merely shuffle their feet back and forth to the music. It must look ridiculous, but it’s the most comfortable Kenjirou’s felt since the party started.

“So why did you offer to dance, then?” he asks, curious.

Otabek shrugs. “Yuri asked me to keep an eye on you in case he couldn’t make it. He said you actually liked to dance, so…”

“Oh.” Kenjirou’s mood falters a bit at the mention of the missing Alpha. “Do you know why he couldn’t come…?”

“His train might just be delayed. And his grandfather does live far away; it’s a long trip. He could still show up.”

“You think so?” Kenjirou asks, somewhat bitterly. “I’ve heard Yurio’s been kinda weird lately…”

“Weird?”

“Hoshi - er, my cousins say he hasn’t been around much. And my uncles say the same, too.”

Otabek looks amused for a moment. Then, Kenjirou realizes that he likely already knows Hoshiko and Stepan, being friends with Yuri and all. His face flushes with embarrassment.

“Believe me, if Yuri’s being absent, it’s not because he wants to be,” the Alpha replies. “He loves those two like they’re his own siblings. They might as well be.”

A tiny knot of worry in Kenjirou’s stomach disappears at that reassurance. He could never believe Yuri would stay away from the children of his own volition anyway, but…

“Then why is he away so much?”

“He hasn’t said anything to me,” Otabek shrugs again. “But I think it might have something to do with his grandfather’s health.”

At that, Kenjirou goes cold. “I-Is he alright?”

“I don’t know. Like I said, he hasn’t said anything to me, but…” A frown passes over the Alpha’s face. “He  _ is  _ getting old, and Yuri’s always been close to him, you know?”

Kenjirou nods. He’s met Nikolai Plisetsky only once, when he’d come to the inn with Victor, Yuuri, and Yuri for some kind of business trip. Kenjirou remembers him as a very kind man, and Yuri clearly adored him. Not that that was surprising; he was, after all, the only family Yuri had left after his father passed away in an accident.

“In any case…” Otabek starts again, “he asked me to stay close to you in case any Alphas like Anatoly back there proved too… persistent.”

The Omega huffs out a laugh. “You don’t have to. I think my uncles have that area covered. You can… enjoy the rest of the party, if you wanted.”

“Well, I did want to meet you anyway. Yuri talks about you a lot.” He pauses. “Did you really dye your forehead red?”

Kenjirou pales, and nearly stops dancing in his shock. “Oh my god, he told you about that?!”

“Sorry,” Otabek says, with a hint of a smile that implies he’s not really. “I don’t think he could help himself.”

Kenjirou glowers. “In my defense, the directions for the hair dye were  _ really  _ vague…”

Otabek laughs, and -  _ oh.  _ It’s a good look on him. Kenjirou finds himself staring in awe at the shift on the previously stoic Alpha’s face.

He doesn’t even realize that the song has ended until Otabek is leading him away from the dance floor and back into the throng of guests. Though, he’s gracious enough to lead them to a spot not quite a densely populated, so they have a bit of breathing room to themselves.

“Thank you,” Otabek says. “For the dance. You’re really not that bad.”

Kenjirou blushes but grins happily. “You too. My toes escaped unscathed.”

They share a smile, and for a moment, it feels like they’ve been friends for a while as well. 

Eventually Otabek offers to get them something to drink - just water, to Kenjirou’s relief - and they sip their glasses quietly while observing the rest of the party. Otabek must have some kind of magical force field that keeps other Alphas at bay, or at least it seems that way to Kenjirou; there are other Alphas staring at the pair of them, but they make no move to come closer or steal the Omega away.

Kenjirou can only think of one reason for that.

“What does your family do, Otabek?” he asks, trying for nonchalant, though he doesn’t think he’s succeeded.

Otabek gives him a sidelong glance. “My mom transports items for Mr. Nikiforov, occassionally. And my dad is… I guess you’d call him a clean-up specialist.”

Kenjirou gulps. “What… kind of clean-up?”

The Alpha gives him a look. “I’m pretty sure you already know.”

“A-Ah.”

_ That  _ kind of clean-up.

“Guess Yuri was right. You’re really not as involved in this stuff as the rest of us.”

Kenjirou opts to stare into his half-empty glass, mouth twisting with displeasure. “Yeah. I mean, I  _ know  _ about it all, but I’ve never…”

“Experienced any of it up close?”

He nods. “I’ll have to, eventually. I get that. It’s a risk that comes with running my family’s inn.”

“But you’re not looking forward to it,” supplies Otabek. “I can understand that.”

“You can?”

“Mmhm.” He takes a long sip before continuing. “I’m the fourth Alpha in my family. My older siblings are the ones who got really deep into the family business, went on all the trips with my mom and dad. I was mostly left to my own devices. I mean,” he rolls his shoulders with a baleful look, “I’m sure my parents wouldn’t have  _ minded  _ if I went into the business anyway, but…”

“But…?”

“I wanna try new things,” he answers. “If I’m free to do so, why not?”

Kenjirou glances at him, allowing a tiny smile to cross his features. “Well, if you ever wanna try running a hot springs, you know where to find me.”

Otabek chuckles. “I don’t think Yuri would appreciate that.”

“Appreciate wh - ?” starts Kenjirou, only to be cut off by a gruff voice behind them. They both turn, to see...

“Your scary-ass blank face would frighten away the regular customers,” scoffs Yuri. 

Kenjirou startles in surprise, but Otabek only raises an eyebrow.

“When did you finally get here?” he asks the blond.

Yuri shoves his hands in his pockets - he’s changed into a mostly formal tuxedo, save for the tiger striped-patterned tie - and looks dismissive. “About ten minutes ago. The train was delayed.” Then he looks at Kenjirou, and his face softens. “Sorry I’m late, Ken.”

Kenjirou blinks. He feels his shock ebb away, replaced with relief. “I-It’s fine. You’re here now, right?”

“Yeah…” Yuri looks to Otabek again. “Thanks, Beka. I’ll take it from here.”

Otabek glances between the two of them, and for a moment, it seems like he wants to say something, but whatever it was he must decide against. He nods and takes a step back. 

“No problem. Enjoy the rest of your party, Kenjirou. It was nice meeting you.”

“O-Oh, you too!” Kenjirou replies. “I’ll, uh… I’ll see you later, I guess?”

The Alpha smiles. “I hope so.”

With that, he turns and vanishes into the crowd, Kenjirou staring after him. He doesn’t look away until Yuri nudges him with his elbow, and he turns to see his friend looking at him strangely. 

“You’re blushing.” 

“What?” Kenjirou holds a hand to his cheek, finding it hot to the touch. “Oh! I… I had a glass of champagne earlier…?”

Yuri narrows his eyes. After a few seconds, he scoffs again. “Whatever. You wanna grab something to eat or what?”

“Sure…?” Kenjirou trails after Yuri, who leads the way to the buffet table. There’s a wide assortment of food, chosen by Yuuri specifically to cater to Kenjirou’s tastes. As such, Kenjirou gathers as many strawberries as he can heap onto his small plate before walking with Yuri to a sitting area beside the dance floor.

They eat in relative silence for a few minutes, Yuri hyper-focused on his own plate and Kenjirou on the Alpha himself. 

It’s… suffocatingly awkward. 

Kenjirou tries to make conversation when it becomes too much. “How was your grandfather?”

Yuri shrugs. “He’s alright. Had a bad cough a week ago, but he’s doing fine now.”

“Oh. That’s good. Maybe I can go with you next time you see him.”

Yuri’s lips twitch. “Yeah. Maybe.”

They lapse into silence again, to Kenjirou’s dismay. It’s never been this hard to talk to Yuri before. 

“Otabek was really nice,” he tries again. “I can see why you like him so much.”

“... Yeah, he’s cool,” replies Yuri, but his tone belies something else. “He’s not looking to get married though, so I don’t know why Yuuri invited him at all.”

Kenjirou frowns. “Because he’s your friend?”

“You’re supposed to be looking for a mate, not meeting my friends,” retorts Yuri. Kenjirou’s frown deepens at the reminder.

A swirl of blue at the corner of his eye catches his attention, drawing him from the awkward conversation. On the floor before him, he sees his uncles, dancing in each other’s arms with all the passion of a new couple. Yuuri is, of course, resplendent in his blue dress, the embellishments on the skirt sparkling like diamonds as Victor twirls him around. They’re looking at each other like they’re in their own private world. 

Kenjirou watches, wistful, as Yuuri sneaks a kiss from his grinning husband. 

He wants that, he thinks. What his Uncle Yuuri has is something most Omegas in their position can only dream of. But… he doubts any of the Alphas in this room can be for him what Victor is for Yuuri.

He sighs. “I guess,” he finally says in response to Yuri’s earlier quip. “He was just nice, that’s all.”

Kenjirou feels Yuri’s eyes on him. Then he must follow his gaze out to the dancing couple a few feet away.

“... Hey,” Yuri nudges him again, getting Kenjirou to finally look away. Once the Omega’s eyes are on him, he goes on. “I’m… I’m totally free tomorrow, if you wanted to… you know. Hang out, or some shit.”

“... Really?”

“Yeah. I can show you all the cool places in town to go. Maybe we can go out to eat, or buy something for the brats,” he grins, referring to Hoshiko and Stepan. “Anything you want.”

Kenjirou stares at him for a few moments. Then, he allows himself to smile, touched by Yuri’s attempt to get his mind off his situation. “That sounds nice.”

“Cool. I’ll stop by your room in the morning, then. We can take one of the old man’s cars.”

Kenjirou resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Is that gonna be alright with Uncle Victor?”

“Please, it’s not like he can’t spare one,” Yuri says. “He won’t even notice.”

“Well… If you say so.” Kenjirou sets aside his now empty plate and rises to his feet, stretching. Then he extends a hand towards Yuri, who looks up at him, eyebrow raised.

“What?”

“I wanna dance,” explains the Omega.

At once, Yuri goes red. “D-Didn’t you dance with Beka?”

“Yeah. Now I want to dance with you.”

“Uh…”

“Please? It’s my party, Yurio!”

Yuri, flustered, hesitates. It almost makes Kenjirou pull his hand back in disappointment, but as soon as it comes, it goes. Yuri grabs his hand with just a bit more force that Kenjirou was expecting, and stands.

“Y-Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on.”

Grinning, Kenjirou lets Yuri tug him to the dance floor, where an upbeat swing song starts to play. They fall into the rhythm naturally, aided by the years of play dancing they would do together whenever they were able to hang out. It calms the remains of Kenjirou’s frayed nerves - maybe things were just awkward for a bit because of the circumstances of the party. He’s still not sure. But if they can still dance together like this, then there’s nothing to worry about.

Briefly, Kenjirou spots Yuuri again, still in Victor’s arms. The older Omega looks surprised, most likely at the sight of Yuri, but before Kenjirou remark on it to his dancing partner, Yuri spins him around, turning the other guests into brightly-colored blurs.

After that, it’s just him and Yuri, dancing their hearts out in a world all their own.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> side note: Yuri totally entered the ballroom, saw Kenjirou across the way, and had to have a few minutes to himself because holy SHIT Kenjirou looks pretty
> 
>  
> 
> [Kenjirou's dress btw](https://www.shopperwear.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/600x/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/l/a/lamya-lace-cap-sleeve-removed-prom-dresses-princess-style-short-front-back-long-evening-party-dress-elegant-robe-wine-red.jpg)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenjirou and Yuri have a fun day out, but it becomes bogged down with unfortunate ruminations on the future.
> 
> Also, a salon trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, it's been a while ;;; 
> 
> It's mostly due to a combination of school, a new fandom sucking me into hell, and my own predisposed laziness.
> 
> Also, I've kind of gone off track from my outline so... this might not end up being six chapters. OTL
> 
> WARNING for the last section of this chapter: gets a little bit naughty, but that's because it's a scene with Yuuri and Victor lmao

* * *

 

For the first time in a long while, Kenjirou wakes up excited.

With the fear and anxiety caused by the debut party gone, he allows himself to look forward to his and Yuri’s planned outing. As such, he wakes up earlier than normal, far too psyched-up to simply remain in bed.

Oddly, however, he spends an inordinate amount of time picking out an outfit. He sorts through his daily clothes, ones that he wore all the time back in Hasetsu, and finds each article… lacking. Of course, showing up in a dress or kimono is too much. He half-debates asking Yuuri for help, but he figures his uncle is still asleep and - if last night’s dance was any indication - probably caught in some kind of post-intimacy embrace with Victor.

He ends up compromising somewhat by marrying both casual and formal, with grey denim jeans and a graphic tee coupled with a red duster coat. After throwing on some white sneakers to complete the look, he wonders briefly what he can do about his untameable hair, before deciding it’s not worth the effort. Besides, Yuri will probably be arriving soon, he realizes as he glances at the clock. He’s spent nearly two hours on his clothes alone.

Kenjirou doesn’t understand his sudden preoccupation with his appearance. It’s just Yuri, after all. The Alpha’s seen him in bright pink pajamas patterned with cartoon lions. Actually, come to think of it, Yuri’s seen him naked before, too.

A soft blush quickly rises to Kenjirou’s cheeks. Growing up in an onsen meant he was more accustomed to nudity than other Omegas. As a child, he would take to wandering around the family area of the inn either nude or just in his underwear, and one such incident had occurred when Kenjirou’s uncles - with Yuri in tow - arrived for a visit. It was Yuri’s first time visiting the inn, and Kenjirou had been so excited to finally meet him.

Problem was, they’d arrived an hour early, and so Mari thought there would be no rush to dress her would-be nudist of a son.

A vivid memory surfaces, of seeing Uncle Yuuri walk into the family area, spurring the then eight-year-old Kenjirou into such a frenzy that he forgets he’s not wearing anything. He springs a hug on his uncle, who laughs, either at the excitement or his current state of clotheslessness, while Uncle Victor grins fondly from the side, a blond child in his arms…

Who _shrieks._

Yuri was not nearly as used to seeing naked people as Kenjirou, so his reaction was actually pretty well-warranted. It took several minutes to calm the young Alpha down, and even longer than that for the redness to fade from his face. In that time, Mari had rushed into the room and taken Kenjirou away to get dressed, mumbling apologies through what Kenjirou now suspects was a grin of her own.

Half an hour later, he’d timidly offered Yuri his lion plushie as an apology, and he and the Alpha were thick as thieves after that.

Kenjirou is snapped out of his embarrassing nostalgia trip by a knock at the door. He jolts and runs over, opening it to reveal, as he expected, Yuri. The Alpha is dressed casually as well, the leopard bomber jacket and ripped black jeans just screaming _Yuri Plisetsky._

“Morning, Ken,” Yuri greets. “You ready to go?”

“Y-Yeah,” Kenjirou’s hand flutters around his hair, tucking a brunet strand behind his ear as he steps out of his room. “Cool jacket.”

Yuri beams. “Isn’t it?”

They start walking, Kenjirou following the Alpha’s lead. Easy chatter starts to flow between them, and by the time they reach the garage, Kenjirou is smiling free and easily, any nerves he might’ve had about the day soon forgotten.

Yuri opens the door to the garage and allows Kenjirou to enter first. The Omega marvels at the rows of cars lining the massive room. All sorts of different sizes and shapes and colors of vehicles greet them, and they all look very, _very_ expensive.

“Wow… Who even drives all these?” he finds himself asking.

Yuri walks past him, shrugging. “Most of these are Vic -... the Old Man’s, but I think a lot of them were gifts. There’s only five or six he takes out regularly. Oh, and those ones over there are Yuuri’s.”

Kenjirou’s eyes snap over to where Yuri has lazily waved his hand. There are three cars along the indicated wall; one sleek and black, another more box-like and blue, and the third is a surprisingly gaudy gold.

Kenjirou opens his mouth, but Yuri beats him to it.

“The gold one was a present from the Old Man.”

Kenjirou closes his mouth. Ah.

They keep walking until Yuri stops at a relatively modest-looking red car. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out what Kenjirou assumes must be the key.

“Is this one yours, Yurio?”

“Ah, sort of? At least until I get my motorcycle license.”

Kenjirou raises his eyebrows in surprise. “You’re gonna get a motorcycle?”

Yuri nods. “Planning to, anyway… Actually, Beka’s gonna help me pick one out.”

Right, Otabek has a motorcycle already. Kenjirou’s smiles widens a little more at the thought of the other Alpha - he’d certainly look cool on a bike, he imagines. “That’ll be fun! You’ll let me ride with you, right?”

Yuri snickers and unlocks the car. “Yeah, right after Styopa and Kocchan. They already begged me for the first ride. The Old Man looked like he was about to have a heart attack.”

Kenjirou rolls his eyes as he walks to the passenger’s side door and opens it. “Why do you keep calling Uncle Victor an old man? He’s not _that_ old.”

He ducks into the car, so he doesn’t see Yuri’s face, but he does hear the beat of silence that follows his question. Before he can ask a follow-up, though, Yuri is sliding into the driver’s seat with a nonchalant shrug.

“Not my fault he’s already going grey.”

“He was _born_ grey, Yurio.”

He’s ignored while the Alpha starts up the car. “And it’s not my fault that Yuuri keeps telling him how much he loves the whole ‘silver fox’ look. Ugh.” Faking a shudder of disgust, Yuri starts driving the car out of the garage.

Kenjirou chuckles at him, then leans back against his seat, intent on enjoying the ride.

 

* * *

 

St. Petersburg is a much livelier place than Kenjirou expected.

Yuri takes him to all his favorite spots - including an arcade, where they play video games for nearly two hours; a shopping center, where they buy little gifts for Stepan and Hoshiko; and finally, a small cafe, tucked away between busy streets, where they now sit, munching on a late breakfast.

It’s been a really, _really_ nice day. So why does Kenjirou still feel so…

He’s not sure what the feeling is, but it’s apparently noticeable enough that Yuri’s voice, laced with concern, startles him out of his thoughts.

“Ken?”

Kenjirou looks up from the table, where a half-eaten croissant and an empty glass of juice sit, unmoved for the past few minutes. Yuri is frowning at him from across the table.

“Huh? Oh, sorry.” Kenjirou shakes his head, putting on as good a smile as he can muster. “I spaced out a bit…”

“You okay?”

“I’m…” The Omega hesitates. But it’s Yuri. He can always talk to Yuri. “I don’t know. I feel… weird, I guess.”

Yuri leans over the table, resting his forearms on the surface. “Weird how?”

“Like… Anxious, maybe? Yesterday, at the party… I was supposed to meet somebody, or anybody. It just… feels like I didn’t make any progress at all.”

Yuri’s frown deepens. “Ken, you’ve only been here, what, a week? You’re not gonna find a mate _that_ quickly.”

“I know,” Kenjirou retorts quickly, “but it’s the entire reason I’m _here_ in the first place! It’s like - I didn’t even _try,_ Yurio. I spent most of the night avoiding any Alpha who tried to talk to me, and then I was with Otabek and then you.” He slumps against his chair, desperately resisting the urge to pout. “Like you said, I’m supposed to be _looking,_ but I barely even did that.”

It’s quiet for several beats, save for the sounds of the cafe around them. Kenjirou’s gaze flickers up to see Yuri biting at his lip, expression pensive.

Finally, the Alpha meets his eyes and speaks.

“Do you even wanna look, Ken?”

Kenjirou freezes, but Yuri goes on.

“I mean, I get _why_ you’re looking. You want the inn to stay in your family, and Japan still has this ass-backwards concept that Omegas can’t own their own businesses, so you have to find an Alpha or a Beta. But if you’re _just_ getting married to save the inn…” he trails off meaningfully.

Kenjirou presses his lips together before suddenly blurting, “I _know,_ okay?”

It comes out a lot more aggressively than he’d planned, leaving Yuri blinking in surprise.

“I _know_ that everyone just wants me to be happy, but I just...” Groaning, Kenjirou buries his face in his hands, unwilling to look at Yuri’s concerned gaze any longer. “Grandma and Grandpa are getting too old to run the inn. They can’t pass it down to my mom or to me, so... Why not just do it now? Why not for that reason?” A beat of silence passes. “… And if I wanna get married, I have to be a good Omega,” he mumbles, mostly to himself.

“... Says _who?”_ Yuri replies anyway, sounding bewildered.

Kenjirou peeks at him through his fingers. “Says everyone else I’ve ever met in my life outside of the family.”

“Well then, fuck them!” spits Yuri, mouth twisting in disdain. “What the fuck is a ‘good Omega’ anyway?”

Listless, Kenjirou shrugs. “A good mate, I guess. Someone who looks good and doesn’t cause trouble.”

Yuri stares at him. “You’ve met the Omegas in your family, right?”

At that, Kenjirou can’t help but snort.

“Well, yeah… But my mom has a different situation. Apparently no one wants to marry a quote-unquote ‘ruined’ Omega like my mom,” he grimaces as he speaks, hating to describe his own mother in that way. “And even if she did remarry, if she doesn’t have an Alpha or Beta child to inherit the inn, I’m back to square one.”

Tilting his head back, he looks thoughtfully at the cafe sign hanging overhead. “As for Uncle Yuuri… I know being with Uncle Victor was his choice, and he’s happy, but he also gave up a lot to be with him. And being married to the Pakhan doesn’t change Japan’s property laws. Any claim he wants to lay to the inn has to be done in Uncle Victor’s name, and some of the other… groups back home in Japan might have a problem with that. A foreigner Alpha, sure, they can accept that, but _Nikiforov?_ He’s already got a strong enough presence in Japan through Uncle Yuuri’s connections to Miss Yuuko. The other groups would probably riot… Which is also why Stepan can’t make a claim when he’s old enough. Or, well, he _could,_ but he probably shouldn’t.”

He finishes his little tirade by returning his gaze to Yuri, who is looking at him with a conflicted expression.

“You’ve, uh… Really thought about this whole thing, huh?”

“From literally the moment I became old enough to marry,” he gives a half-hearted chuckle.

Yuri’s mouth is pressed in a tight line, and his brows are furrowed. Suddenly, Kenjirou feels a stab of guilt for… well, for unloading all of _that._ Yuri shouldn’t be bothered with this Omega stuff, it’s Kenjirou’s burden to bear.

Just as he tries to apologize, though, Yuri speaks, his expression morphing into something more… thoughtful.

“... Hey, Ken?”

“What?”

“Is there… I don’t know, anything you ever wanted to do but couldn’t?”

Kenjirou is thrown by the question. He blinks a few times in response. “I… Well, yeah.”

There’s so much that Omegas aren’t allowed to do. Not even that, but most of what Kenjirou’s thinking are things that his great grandmother told him would actively hurt his reputation, the family name, and most importantly, his ability to secure a good mate.

“Like what?” presses Yuri.

“Like… Dying my hair, I guess?” Kenjirou’s feet shuffle awkwardly under the table, as he runs a hand through his brunette mane. “I always wanted to do it because I think my mom’s hair looks so cool, but… It’s seen as ‘trashy’, you know?”

Yuri hums. “Yeah. I remember you trying to dye it when we were kids.”

Kenjirou glowers. “And apparently you told that to Otabek too.”

Yuri waves his hand. “Anyway. If you could go and do that, dye your hair, right now… Would you?”

“What?” Kenjirou actually laughs, but Yuri’s expression doesn’t change. God, he’s serious. “Yurio, I can’t!”

“Says who?”

“Says - says Grandma Yukari!”

“Yeah, but she’s dead,” Yuri says bluntly. “And I would not put stock into what that woman thought a good Omega is.”

“Then…” Kenjirou falters. “Uncle Yuuri…?”

“Nah, Yuuri would probably encourage you to do it if he thought it would make you happy.”

And that’s… true, actually, so Kenjirou stops himself before he can try and argue back. “What are you trying to get at, Yurio?”

“Okay, look: I don’t know if I understand or even _like_ all this Omega bullshit you have to go through. But I do know that whoever you choose, whoever that lucky fuck ends up being, they’re _not_ gonna be one of those pricks that tries to change you or control you or - or whatever it is that you’re probably expecting. I’m gonna make damn well sure of that.”

Kenjirou stares at the Alpha. His chest feels tight, but there’s a small thrill sent up his spine at Yuri’s protectiveness.

“H-How are you gonna do that?”

Yuri smirks. “Get in the car. We have one last stop to go.”

 

* * *

 

It is, in retrospect, kind of a terrible idea.

Though, Kenjirou finds himself not caring for the first time in a while - he’d actually felt _excited_ when Yuri pulled up to hair salon, marched them both inside, and demanded that the staff cater to Kenjirou’s every whim. It was just - just so spontaneous and crazy and just the right side of stupid that it was absolutely thrilling. He’d had _fun._

But then, as they arrive back at the Nikiforov manor a few hours later, his nerves start to crawl back to him. What if he looks stupid? What if Yuri was just playing a prank on him? He doesn’t _think_ the Alpha would do that to him, but he’s not really thinking rationally otherwise, so -

“Kenji?”

Uncle Yuuri’s spotted them in the hallway coming back from the garage. _Fuck._

The older Omega blinks, then does a double-take at Kenjirou’s new look.

Though his hairstyle itself is the same untameable mess, the natural brown color of it is gone. It’s replaced by a sandy blond color, meant to be an homage to his mother’s blond highlights. Most of his hair, including his eyebrows, is this new color, save for the fringe - at Yuri’s suggestion, it’s a swoop of crimson red; a reference, he’d joked, to Kenjirou’s ill-fated dye attempt all those years ago.

It was a a freeing thought, to just _do whatever he wanted_ and damn the consequences… But now, Kenjirou suddenly remembers that he doesn’t exactly have that luxury. Because the way his uncle is looking at him makes him want to crawl under a rock and die. Yuri is a tense, frozen presence behind him, hand hovering protectively at his back. They’re both steeling themselves for the elder’s reaction.

He flinches when Yuuri finally opens his mouth to speak. Only, instead of a sharp reprimand, he hears a breathless… laugh?

“Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more like Mari-neesan,” Yuuri shakes his head, a smile quirking up his lips.

Kenjirou feels himself relax, and behind him, Yuri does the same.

“You’re not mad?” he asks his uncle, shuffling awkwardly.

“I’m surprised,” Yuuri replies, raising an eyebrow. “But it looks good on you, Kenji. Why would I be mad?”

“Well, you know… What if any of my potential… _mates_ don’t like it?”

“Then they’re not the kind of mate you should be looking for,” he answers, voice clipped.

“That’s what I said,” Yuri murmurs under his breath, shooting Kenjirou a quick grin. There’s a distinct ‘I told you so’ gleaming in his eyes. Kenjirou has half a mind to shove at him, but honestly, he’s too relieved by his uncle’s validation to be petty.

“Ah, speaking of…” Yuuri trails off for a moment, as if in hesitation. “Otabek called for you.”

Yuri makes a curious noise. “Why didn’t he just call my cell?”

“Not you, Yuri. He called for Kenjirou.”

Kenjirou startles. “What? Why?”

“He asked if you would want to accompany him to a theater performance on Saturday. Apparently, he’s interested in courting you.”

Heat rises to the younger Omega’s cheeks. _Otabek_ wants to court him? That’s - crazy. Isn’t it? It’s true that of the suitors Kenjirou had met the night of the debut party, Otabek was by far the least offensive - he even got along quite well with him - but…

Subconsciously, his eyes drift over to Yuri. Did he know Otabek was going to do this?

By the shocked expression on Yuri’s face, he’d wager not. He _did_ say that Otabek wasn’t looking to get married…

Maybe he changed his mind.

Yuuri’s gaze switches between the two of them, his own expression unphased. “I told him I would let you know and you would call him back if you were interested.”

Kenjirou swallows the lump in his throat. “I… O-Okay.”

“Are you?” his uncle asks.

“I…”

Kenjirou pauses. Is he? This is good, isn’t it? He’d been feeling so somber since his apparent failure at the party, but now he had a suitor willing to court him and get to know him better. And he’s someone who already has the approval of Yuuri - otherwise he wouldn’t have told Kenjirou of his interest, right? - and he’s Yuri’s best friend.

“I don’t know…”

Yuri’s mouth twitches, like he wants to say something, but Yuuri speaks first.

“Whatever you decide is okay, Kenji. Remember that. Otabek certainly won’t hold it against you if you say no.”

Kenjirou nods - he knows that much, at least. Otabek doesn’t seem like the kind of Alpha to hold a grudge.

A blaring tone suddenly tearing through the quiet makes Kenjirou jump. Yuuri only blinks, and Yuri curses, digging into his pocket to pull out the source of the noise - his own cell phone. He mutters something unintelligible to Kenjirou, his eyes going hard.

Yuuri looks at him for a moment before speaking again. “Well, I should be heading out. Victor and I have a meeting to attend. We’ll be gone for a few days, is that alright?”

“O-Oh, yeah,” Kenjirou responds. “Good luck…?”

Yuuri smiles deviously, and Kenjirou has no doubts about what _kind_ of meeting he’s going to.

“Goodnight, Kenji. Yuri.”

Kenjirou returns the sentiment, but Yuri barely acknowledges it, eyes still trained on his phone. Yuuri pauses for a few moments before continuing down the hallway, out of sight.

Kenjirou and Yuri are left together once more, but now there’s a heavier feeling in the atmosphere than before.

The Omega swallows, risking a glance at Yuri, who’s now pocketed his phone, but his frown hasn’t left his face.

“W-Who was it?” Kenjirou decides to ask, desperate to fill the silence.

“Wrong number,” the Alpha replies tersely. His eyes fix on Kenjirou. “What’re you gonna do about Otabek?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you gonna let him court you?” he asks, insistent.

“I - I don’t know?” Kenjirou shrinks back. “M-Maybe? He was nice, so…”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Yuri’s brows furrow as the rest of his face settles into a deep  scowl.

Kenjirou tries to backtrack. “I mean, if it’s okay with you - ?”

Yuri cuts him off, stalking past Kenjirou as he does.

“Do what you want. I’m going to bed.”

“Yurio?” Kenjirou reaches out, but Yuri sidesteps him and keeps walking down the hall, opposite the way Yuuri had gone. He doesn’t look back, even though Kenjirou’s eyes are burning holes in his back.

Kenjirou stands alone in the hallway. He can’t quite say how long he stays there, but eventually his feet carry him back to his room, where he shuts the door with a heavy sigh.

He lies down on his bed, feeling upset.

What’s Yuri’s problem, anyway? If he doesn’t want Kenjirou to be courted by Otabek, he could just say so. Yuri’s never had a problem with speaking his mind before.

It kind of… annoys Kenjirou. What’s wrong with Otabek? He would’ve thought that if Yuri approved of anyone, it’d be his own best friend. Maybe there’s something wrong with Otabek that Yuri won’t talk about. Or maybe, a darker part of him fears, there’s something wrong with _Kenjirou._

Yuri’s words echo in his mind. ‘ _Do what you want.’_ Curt and dismissive, despite his show of support earlier at the cafe, and later the salon. Kenjirou frowns at the ceiling, feeling the annoyance turn to anger.

“You know what?” he says to no one. “Fine. I will.”

He reaches for his phone, sends a text to his uncle, and waits. Two minutes later, there’s a reply - a phone number. Kenjirou dials the new number and holds his phone to his ear, heart thumping like a drum in his chest.

It picks up, and a familiar voice says curiously, “Hello?”

“Hey, uh, Otabek? It’s Kenjirou.”

 

* * *

 

Yuuri flips over the blade in his hands, watching with muted appreciation as the light dances off the blood-soaked edge. It’s damascus steel, so the swirling, glimmering patterns add another layer of beauty to the pearl-handled knife. His eyes catch on the ‘YKN’ engraved on the blade, and he smiles. It’s an anniversary gift from his husband, who never disappoints.

The man himself is pressing kisses up and down Yuuri’s neck, his beard scratching pleasantly against his skin. They’re lying in a large, luxurious hotel bed, their business having wrapped up earlier in the night. Yuuri was almost disappointed by how easily the man talked. Victor made it up to him by letting him slice the man open from navel to throat.

He feels slick gathering between his legs - he’s getting worked up again just thinking about it.

Victor hums appreciatively, likely smelling Yuuri’s arousal in the air. His tongue traces a circle around Yuuri’s bonding mark on the back of his neck, making the Omega shiver in anticipation of a round two… And then his phone goes off.

Yuuri immediately sits up to answer it, placing the knife on the nightstand. He smiles to himself at Victor’s put-out whine, and holds the phone up to his ear.

“This better be important,” he says as a greeting.

Mila’s voice is on the other end. She laughs first, then replies. “Tell Boss’s dick I’m sorry.”

Yuuri glances back at his sulking husband, then at the part of his anatomy in question; hard and twitching already. Victor catches him staring and his expression changes. He wraps a hand around himself and starts to slowly jerk off.

Yuuri bites his lip. “Make this quick,” he says to Mila.

“Right, well…” Her tone becomes serious. “I talked to Nikolai. Your hunch was right. Little Yura was only at his place for a day.”

Yuuri frowns. “Then where was Yuri for the other three days he was gone?”

At the mention of their ward, Victor’s teasing ministrations abruptly end. His brow furrows with concern.

“Nikolai doesn’t know; he thought Yuri went right back home. Don’t worry, Georgi and I are on it. I’ll call back when we have more information.”

“Right…” Yuuri sighs. “Thank you, Mila.”

He hangs up, letting his phone clatter back onto the nightstand, next to the anniversary knife. He turns to his husband, who wordlessly reaches out, and Yuuri just falls against him.

“What is that boy _doing?”_ Yuuri hisses, but his voice is more distraught than angry.

Victor strokes his back with one hand, the other carding through Yuuri’s bed-tousled hair. “We’ll find out, _zolotse._ I’m sure it’s nothing too bad.”

“He’s never acted like this before,” Yuuri points out. “He’s never kept secrets from us.”

“It’s Yura; he wouldn’t act against us.”

Slowly, Yuuri lifts his head to meet the Alpha’s eyes. “And if he does?”

He doesn’t believe it; he doesn’t want to. Yuri is practically their son, they love him with the same intensity they do Stepan and Hoshiko. He _couldn’t_ betray all of them. But, on the slim chance that Yuri does the unthinkable...

His husband’s eyes say what he’s reluctantly thinking. There’s grief, fear, and grim determination.

“Then we do what we do with all traitors.”

Yuuri presses himself closer against Victor. His Alpha, in return, wraps his arms around Yuuri and lays them both out against the bed. The sensual mood is gone, they both know. Now all either of them want to do is sleep. They have another few days of matters to attend to, but after that, they’ll be home.

And when they’re home, they’ll ask Yuri himself.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> First, YAY Kenjirou has his good ol' chicken nugget hair.  
> Second, since it's been a while since I've written in this universe, let me know if there are any continuity errors. I did a cursory reread of the first two chapters to be sure, but you know.  
> And third, tbh, the last bit WAS gonna be a sex scene (because I just can't help it with Victuuri), but I ultimately cut it because it didn't feel right. 
> 
> Now, I can't promise that the next chapter will come soon, because I'll be starting my final quarter of school before graduation, which is always a hectic time. I'm also starting an internship soon, so that'll take up some more of my writing time. Still, hopefully it won't be another three months before the next update. ^^;;
> 
> Oh, and if anyone is into Detroit: Become Human and the Markus x Connor ship... I might be writing something for that. :>

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so! To be honest, this particular story went through so many revisions that at this point, I'm kinda just picking what I like from each different version and throwing them in there;;; So chapter count is very susceptible to change.
> 
> Looking forward to writing in this universe again!


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